Bay Area Business Phone Systems Blog

Are you ready for a new office telephone system?

This is the final installment of our series, “How to Buy a New OfficeTelephone System.”

Well, we’ve reached the end of the journey. If you’ve read and understand the information contained in this series of blogs, you’re now an expert in the art of choosing a new business telephone system. Your newfound knowledge will make the process more efficient, will delight the vendors you choose to evaluate, and the end result will be a superior communications solution for your business.

Creating an Integrated Voice Ready Data Network

This is the sixth installment of our series, “How to Buy a New OfficeTelephone System.”

By now, you’ve learned that the modern telephone system has converged into the data network. In this blog in our series, we’re going to discuss what goes in to building a “voice ready” data network. We will also cover how your new phone system can integrate with your business applications such as CRM and databases.

Carriers

This is the fifth installment of our series, “How to Buy a New Office Telephone System.”

In our last blog, we explored the large number of business phones available today.

This installment in our series delves into the connection of your PBX to the outside world. With your present system, you are likely connected via dedicated voice circuits (otherwise known as lines) provided by one of your local phone companies. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the leading providers of legacy voice circuits are AT&T, TelePacific, and XO Communications.

Phones and Devices

This is the fourth installment of our series, “How to Buy a New Office Telephone System.”

In our last blog, we identified 20 of the top features that most modern phone systems have to offer today. This installment of our ongoing series will focus on the types of phones and devices one can employ in new business communications solutions. The list is much bigger and more diverse than the last time you bought your phone system.

Feature Requirements

This is the third installment of our series, “How to Buy a New Office Telephone System.”

In our last blog, we discussed the importance of knowing the limitations of your current system and how it relates to what you should look for in a new one. As part of this insight, we briefly touched on finding the right features for your needs. It used to be that when purchasing a new phone system, you’d only maintain it for about 5 years before upgrading to the latest model. Why? To gain exciting new features such as voicemail, speakerphones, and call queuing..

Business Needs

This is the second installment of our series, “How to Buy a New Office Telephone System.”

In our first blog post, we reviewed the telephone system evaluation and acquisition process. We also talked about the background information you must uncover prior to engaging with vendors. Next we need to look into how you handle your business communications today, both to develop your buying criteria as well as to discover potential future needs.

Evaluation & Acquisition Process

“This blog is the first in a series about the process of purchasing a new business telephone system.”

I am the owner of Teledynamic Communications, Inc. a business communications solution provider based in the San Francisco Bay Are. Over 25 years in the business, I have provided technical consulting to hundreds of customers on business phone systems, both hosted and premise PBX. I figure it’s time I give back to the business community by writing a business communications buyer’s guide.

This is the last in a series of four posts called "The Top 4 Reasons to Switch to a Modern Voice and Data Network"

The Need for a Cloud-Ready Network

This is the last post in our four-part series that lays out the business case for Technology Phone Systems. So far, we’ve examined the common challenges small business owners face when it comes to business communication systems. These challenges include legacy telephone systems, the increasing cost of these systems, and the need for a reliable voice and data network.

In our last post, we’ll look at the business need fora cloud-enabled network. There are several benefits for businesses to have a cloud-ready network, including:

Your network is available anywhere and at anytime

Less risk – data is backed up off-site, which protects it from hackers, viruses and natural disasters

This is the third in a series of four posts called "The Top 4 Reasons to switch to a Modern Voice and Data Network"

This is the third post in our four-part series, “The Business Case for Technology Phone Systems.” Click the following links to read our first and second posts.

The importance of a reliable voice and data network

It wasn’t that long ago, when a phone call was the only way to communicate, other than a face-to-face meeting. Therefore, your business phone system was crucial for your business.

Today, there are many ways to connect, such as video conferencing and mobile communications. Phone calls are a bit less important; however, business communication is still a very important part of your business.

This blog is our second post in a series of four called about the top four reasons to switch to a modern voice and data network.

In our first blog post, we took a look at the challenges of using a legacy phone system in today’s world of cloud communications and connectivity. However, there is more to the story than outdated legacy phones, but also the monthly bills for these systems should be examined in some detail.

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it

This could be the motto for many organizations. It is so easy to get used to the ‘status quo’ and to lose track of the potential savings that may be hidden in those stacks of monthly bills. Once an organization is accustomed to paying a particular bill each month, it typically will pay each month without a thought. Over time, the price increases incrementally, but most customers don’t notice the additional expense. The telephone companies have perfected the art of gently raising prices steadily without bringing attention to themselves.